Golf club head

Abstract

A club head for a golf club comprises a strike face and an outer shell. The strike face and the outer shell define a head volume of the club head. The club head has a first axis that extends generally horizontally and parallel to the strike face, a first moment of inertia about the first axis, a second axis that lies generally vertically and perpendicular to the first axis, a second moment of inertia about the second axis, and a center of gravity lying below a horizontal centerline of the club head. The first moment of inertia in units of kg-mm 2 is greater than or equal to approximately 77 plus 0.46 times the head volume in units of cm 3 .

1 - 29 . (canceled)  
   
   
       30 : A golf club head comprising: 
 an outer shell;    a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume greater than 300 cm 3 ;    a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation I xx ≧0.46*HV+107, where I xx  is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm 2  and HV is the club head volume in units of cm 3 ; and    a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity of the club head generally perpendicular to the heel/toe axis, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the vertical axis is greater than or equal to 300 kg-mm 2 .    
   
   
       31 : The golf club head of  claim 30 , further comprising a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is less than 30 mm.  
   
   
       32 : The golf club head of  claim 31 , wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.  
   
   
       33 : The golf club head of  claim 32 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       34 : The golf club head of  claim 32 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       35 : The golf club head of  claim 32 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       36 : The golf club head of  claim 31 , wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.  
   
   
       37 : The golf club head of  claim 36 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       38 : The golf club head of  claim 36 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       39 : The golf club head of  claim 36 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       40 : The golf club head of  claim 30 , further comprising a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 12 mm to about 25 mm.  
   
   
       41 : The golf club head of  claim 40 , wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.  
   
   
       42 : The golf club head of  claim 41 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       43 : The golf club head of  claim 41 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       44 : The golf club head of  claim 41 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       45 : The golf club head of  claim 40 , wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.  
   
   
       46 : The golf club head of  claim 45 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       47 : The golf club head of  claim 45 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       48 : The golf club head of  claim 45 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       49 : The golf club head of  claim 30 , further comprising a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 16 mm to about 20 mm.  
   
   
       50 : The golf club head of  claim 49 , wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.  
   
   
       51 : The golf club head of  claim 50 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       52 : The golf club head of  claim 50 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       53 : The golf club head of  claim 50 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       54 : The golf club head of  claim 49 , wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.  
   
   
       55 : The golf club head of  claim 54 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       56 : The golf club head of  claim 54 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       57 : The golf club head of  claim 54 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       58 : The golf club head of  claim 30 , further comprising a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 17 mm to about 18 mm.  
   
   
       59 : The golf club head of  claim 58 , wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.  
   
   
       60 : The golf club head of  claim 59 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       61 : The golf club head of  claim 59 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       62 : The golf club head of  claim 59 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       63 : The golf club head of  claim 58 , wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 210 grams.  
   
   
       64 : The golf club head of  claim 63 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       65 : The golf club head of  claim 63 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       66 : The golf club head of  claim 63 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline.  
   
   
       67 : A golf club head comprising: 
 an outer shell;    a strike plate coupled to the outer shell, the strike plate having a strike face, the outer shell and the strike face defining a club head volume greater than 300 cm 3 ;    a plurality of weights attached to or integrally formed with the outer shell, the plurality of weights formed from a material having a density greater than that of the materials used to form the outer shell and the strike plate, wherein the plurality of weights comprise about 10 percent to about 40 percent of the total mass of the club head;    a heel/toe axis extending through a center of gravity of the club head, generally parallel to the strike face, and generally horizontal relative to a ground plane when the club head is at an address position, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis is related to the club head volume by the equation I xx ≧0.46*HV+107, where I xx  is the rotational moment of inertia about the heel/toe axis in units of kg-mm 2  and HV is the club head volume in units of cm 3 ; and    a vertical axis extending through the center of gravity of the club head generally perpendicular to the heel/toe axis, wherein a rotational moment of inertia about the vertical axis is greater than or equal to 300 kg-mm 2 ; and    a hosel axis extending axially through the hosel, wherein a horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is less than 30 mm;    wherein the club head has a total mass within a range of about 180 grams to about 250 grams.    
   
   
       68 : The golf club head of  claim 67 , wherein: 
 the outer shell is comprised of a composite material;    the center of gravity is disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head; and    at least one of the plurality of weights is disposed near a rear end of the club head.    
   
   
       68 . The golf club head of  claim 68 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed at least 1 mm below the horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       69 : The golf club head of  claim 69 , wherein the center of gravity is disposed more than 2 mm below the horizontal centerline of the club head.  
   
   
       70 : The golf club head of  claim 68 , wherein the horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 12 mm to about 25 mm.  
   
   
       71 : The golf club head of  claim 71 , wherein the horizontal distance measured between the center of gravity and the hosel axis is between about 16 mm to about 20 mm.  
   
   
       72 : The golf club head of  claim 68  wherein the plurality of weights are disposed within corresponding recesses formed in the outer shell.  
   
   
       73 : The golf club head of  claim 68 , wherein the plurality of weights are comprised of tungsten.  
   
   
       74 : The golf club head of  claim 68 , wherein the plurality of weights are disposed below a horizontal centerline of the club head.